The Kuwait Airways Corporation (KAC), the national carrier, provides scheduled air transportation services for passengers and cargo. The airline owns 17 aircrafts and flies to 42 destinations, as of November 2008. It flew 2.62 million passengers in 2007, compared to 2.5 million in 2006.

The airline has had a rough history. It lost a significant number of airplanes during the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait in 1990; it took on KWD381.99 million (USD1.4 billion) of debt to finance a recovery. Management began in 2006 taking steps to renew and expand its fleet by leasing 19 airplanes worth KWD818.4 million (USD3 billion). The order was later rejected by parliament however and the order was canceled in August 2007, which was followed by the resignation of the airline’s board of directors and later the cutting of 570 employees. The airline had plans to offer 40% of its shares in an initial public offering, which was put on hold in October 2008 due to the global economic crisis

Kuwait Airways Corporation provides various airport support services via its subsidiary, the Kuwait Aviation Services CompanyKuwait Aviation Services Company. Its other subsidiary, the Automated Systems CompanyAutomated Systems Company provides design, development and operation of information technology systems. The Kuwait Airways Corporation has other investments in the aviation and tourism industries.